THE full details of a character reference sent by the former leader of Bury Council in support of a councillor convicted of child porn charges have been revealed.

Former Tottington councillor Simon Carter admitted possessing indecent images of children, but was spared jail in September, 2015 after a judge said he was impressed with the testimony of town hall colleagues.

Cllr Mike Connolly described Carter as ‘trustworthy, honest, and reliable’ and said the charges against him were ‘totally out of character’ in the letter from August, 2015, which he wrote on council paper and signed as leader of the council.

This July, it was revealed that an investigation found that ex-council chief executive Mike Owen broke child safeguarding policy in the Carter case in order to protect Cllr Connolly and the Labour Party ahead of an election.

The investigation found that Cllr Connolly — who said he was ‘utterly surprised’ by the charges against Carter — was informed of the allegations by Mr Owen on April 1, while the chief executive took no action to inform Bury Council officers tasked with safeguarding children.

According to the investigation report by Charles Bourne QC, Cllr Connolly ‘accepts that it was a wrong decision to give the reference and wrong also to use council paper’. The former mayor has since been suspended by the Labour Party.

Bury Council had previously refused to release the letter, following Freedom of Information requests by the Bury Times, but have now released it after Cllr Connolly agreed ‘in a bid to be open and transparent’.

The letter said: “I have known Simon Carter both as a friend and colleague for over 12 years. In all that time I have known him to be trustworthy, honest, and reliable.

“Simon has carried out his duties as a local councillor with great enthusiasm and is a superb community activist, always having the interest of his constituents at heart.

“In giving this reference, it is in the full knowledge of the charges he is facing. I was utterly surprised to hear of these charges against him, which I believe to be totally out of character.

“Simon is aware of the fact that he has lost his family and his reputation, and I know that he is deeply sorry and ashamed of his actions. I consider Simon to be a friend and I am willing to support him in any way I can to ensure he receives the necessary help and support.”

Mr Owen and Mark Carriline, the council’s former executive director for children, young people and culture, have both resigned over their handling of the Carter case.

Bury Conservatives leader, Cllr James Daly, said it has taken ‘far too long’ for the full letter, part of which was published in the Bourne Report, to be made public.

He added: “It once again raises serious questions over the conduct of the previous Labour leader of Bury Council in relation to the Carter scandal and is another example of the Bury Labour Party prioritising its own interests over those of the borough. This sordid episode has severely damaged the reputation of the Council and will cost the tax payer hundreds of thousands of pounds, yet again the incompetence of Bury Labour is hurting those it is meant to represent.”

Cllr Connolly said: “As I have said previously, in The Bourne Report, I accept that providing a reference for Simon Carter was a mistake for which I am profoundly sorry. I have voluntarily agreed to the release of the reference in a bid to be open and transparent.

“It should be noted however that it is no secret that I provided a reference as it was read out in court and reported by the Bury Times in September, 2015.

“The content was also put in to the public domain by the Council following the publication of the Bourne Report in July of this year.”